


✨🧡Ranga🧡✨

by bep_bop



Series: Newsies Oneshots (Mostly Ralbert) [13]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Albert DaSilva Has Self-Esteem Issues, M/M, Very Very Light Angst, albert hates his hair, most of its just fluff, race thinks that alberts hair is cool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28262517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bep_bop/pseuds/bep_bop
Summary: Albert hates the nickname Ranga and everything associated with it, but unfortunately, his best friend, Racetrack Higgins, loves it.
Relationships: Albert DaSilva/Racetrack Higgins
Series: Newsies Oneshots (Mostly Ralbert) [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982263
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	✨🧡Ranga🧡✨

"Ranga!" Racetrack Higgins whispered into his best friend's ear before flicking the ginger's hat off.

"Racer, I swear to god-" Albert complained as Race sprinted away.

The ginger sighed and pulled his hat back onto his head. One day he'll get Race back for the torment. That day was not today.

Race proceeded to take Albert's hat a total of seven time throughout the day. His record is fifteen, but Albert started getting smart.

Albert did his best to duck his head when Race came barreling at him. He was not letting Race beat his old record.

Sometimes though, Race didn't flick Al's hat. Sometimes they'd be hanging out somewhere, Race would poke Al and say ranga. Sure it was annoying sometimes, but it was harmless.

"Ranga!" A voice called out as Albert's hat was taken from his head.

"Race-" He started before realizing that it wasn't Race who stole his hat.

He turned and was faced with Morris Delancey, holding his hat in the air.

"Give it back Morris." Albert deadpanned.

"Nah, I think I'll keep it." Morris turned on his heel and walked away.

Albert sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Now he had to go the whole day without a hat. Race will never let him live this one down.

"Ranga!" He heard right before said blonde jumped on his back. The two toppled over and hit the floor.

"Give me a warning next time!" Albert complained as he got up and brushed himself off.

"But that's no fun!" Race whined as he draped his full body weight onto Albert.

Albert chuckled lightly and shoved Race off.

"Morris stole my hat." He looked down the hall in the general direction that Morris went.

"What a bitch. That ruins the fun of flicking your hat off."

"Yeah but he stole my hat."

"So?" Race raised an eyebrow, "Report him."

Albert groaned and shoved Race's shoulder, "What's the office gonna do? Lecture Morris? He's just gonna complain that I put in a false accusation."

"I'll, I'll beat him up! That's my job to steal your hat!" Race fumed.

Albert cracked a smile and walked off to class, Race quickly joining him.

Now subconsciously, Albert was not happy about multiple people calling him Ranga. His friends would always do that and Race did it the most. The fact that Morris started calling him Ranga made him hate the name even more.

See the name originated on a trip to the zoo for school when Race and Al were little. Race started calling him Ranga because they were by the orangutans and it clicked in his mind that Albert and the orangutans have the same color hair.

He also said "I'll protect the rangas!" Whilst giving Al a big ass hug because they were there to learn about the danger that orangutans are in. Before they piled on the bus to leave, Race had bought a stuffed orangutan with the money he was given. He named it Bertie, after Albert. Now to Albert, the stuffed animal added salt to the wound. He didn't want the name to last long, but now it had to because of Bertie the stuffed orangutan. It would always be in Race's room as a constant reminder of the nickname.

Albert hates the name. He's hated it since that damned school field trip. He feels like he's being compared to an oversized monkey and he absolutely hates his hair for that. So he always wears a hat to do his best and hide his "hideous" hair from people.

Unfortunately, Morris made it a habit to steal Albert's hats and not give them back. He also made it his thing to trip Al in the hallways.

"C'mon Morris, give up already." The ginger complained to him one day.

"And ruin the fun?" Morris made fake puppy dog eyes.

"It's not fun when my best friend does it and it's not fun when you use it to torment me."

"Well," Morris started, "Ranga!" He shoved Albert to the floor and sprinted away.

Albert made eye contact with the blonde as he approached before Race put two and two together and tore down the hallway after Morris.

"Hey idiot!" Albert called out as he struggled to catch up. "You're gonna get yourself decked you dumbass!"

Albert managed to catch up and stop Race before he did anything stupid.

"Gross," Morris gagged, "I don't mind that y'all are boyfriends but please, don't make out in front of me."

He was just joking but it pissed both Race and Albert off, they were gonna throw some punches before Jack arrived and removed them from the scene.

On their way to Race's after school, he started joking about Ranga again.

"My Ranga, stopping me from committing homicide in the hallway!"

Albert tensed up a tiny bit but still chuckled. Race noticed the vibe around Albert and his face fell a tiny bit. He didn't know why Al got all tense like that.

To prevent Morris from stealing his hats, he started wearing his hood to school but unfortunately, Race and Morris both would just yank it down and say Ranga.

What made it worse is that his whole friend group started saying it more and he was honestly just really tired of it. He would offer a weak smile each time but it made him feel horrible.

Each morning he would wake up and have to mentally prepare for being called Ranga all day.

By the end of the week, Race had a hat made that says "✨🧡Ranga🧡✨" because he noticed that Albert looked so uncomfortable every time someone said it.

On the walk home from school,Race addressed Albert's mood.

"Hey um, Al?" He picked at his fingernails. He didn't known why he was so anxious all of a sudden, it's not like he's saying 'hey Al I have a big gay crush on you.'

"Yeah?" Albert glanced over at his best friend.

"I noticed you were real upset today, is there um, is there a reason behind that?"

Albert froze for a split second. Should he tell his best friend he hates the nickname that he gave to him?

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me!" Race quickly added, seeing the discomfort on Albert's face.

"No, it's fine," Albert sighed, he had to say something sooner than later. "I don't like being called Ranga. It's just, I hate it to be honest."

Race's eyes widened, that was definitely not what he expected to come out of Albert's mouth.

"Why do you hate it?" He tentatively asked.

"It's stupid but I hate that it compares me to an orangutan. I just, I don't want to be associated with that? It's stupid, forget I said anything."

Race instantly felt bad. Ranga was a term for endearment, it wasn't meant to offend Albert in any way. Since he couldn't put his thoughts into words right away, he pulled Albert into a bone crushing hug.

"I'm sorry Albie. I didn't mean it like that when I first came up with it. It was meant to be a term for endearment because I think orangutans' hair is really pretty and I really like your hair. I never meant for you to hide it because of a stupid nickname."

Albert had never thought of it like that. He always thought he was being made fun of. He didn't even think that it could be used as a term of endearment.

Albert returned the hug, "I never thought of it like that. I didn't think it could be used to appreciate my hair. I've been spending years hating it for no reason!"

Race laughed and smacked the ginger on the head, "You idiot! Now, what do we do about Morris and the others calling you Ranga since it's my word for you and they clearly don't have the same implications for it."

"We get there when we get there."

Race remembered the hat that he had stuck in his bag, "That reminds me!"

He threw the bag on the ground and presented the Ranga hat to Albert. Albert laughed and gladly put the hat on.

"I was hoping you'd like it because I didn't know you didn't like the nickname Ranga-" Race started to rant before Albert interrupted him.

"Shut up blonde bitch."

"Oh so I'm a blonde bitch? What's that make you?"

"Ranga." Albert simply answered before continuing the walk home. Race laughed and stuck himself back at Albert's side.

"Damnit ginger!" He laughed as Albert playfully shoved him away.

"Race ya back to my place!" Albert called before sprinting down the sidewalk.

Race groaned as he ran to go catch up with his absolute idiot best friend that he is 100% totally not in love with at all.

At school, whenever someone would call Albert, Ranga, Race was ready to deck them in the face right then and there. That was his nickname for Al, nobody else gets to use it, not anymore.

Race still flicks Al's hats and Al still isn't fully accepting the nickname, but he's warming up to it. He also always wears the ✨🧡Ranga🧡✨ hat that Race got for him.

So naturally, when he left it behind on a school trip, he was extremely upset. I will not confirm nor deny that he cried. That is classified information. Race assured him that everything was okay, but he still was really upset that he lost the hat that Race gave him. It meant a lot to him and he lost it just like that. He felt so stupid.

His worries were eased the next day when Race came in and plopped a ✨🧡Ranga🧡✨ hat onto his desk. He smiled and put it on.

"Hey Al."

"Yeah?"

Race tossed a hat onto his own head that said ✨💙Bitch Blonde💙✨ Albert laughed and pulled his idiotic, lovable friend into a hug.

"I'm sorry I lost the first hat." He mumbled.

"It's fine! Because now I have a hat too! We can be hat buddies!"

"We can be hat buddies." Albert agreed.

"Higgins! Dasilva! Take the hats off!" Their teacher Mr. Pulitzer scolded.

The two shared a mutual look of annoyance before putting their epicly swag hats away.

At the end of the day, Morris stopped by Albert and dumped a bag of stolen hats at his feet.

"Sorry for stealin' your hats or whatever." He mumbled before shuffling away.

Albert had an appalled expression on his face as Race approached with a confused one.

"Ain't that somethin'?" He said whilst gently picking up the bag of his hats.

"Did someone tell him to?"

"No, nobody reported it. He did that on his own."

Oscar Delancey smiled at the two as he passed before going to catch up with Morris.

Race turned to Albert, "Did Oscar do something?"

"Maybe? I didn't know he even knew about the hat theft."

"Ranga!" Mike and Ike yelled in unison as the interrupted Albert and Race's conversation by smacking Al on the head.

"Oh you little shits!" Albert called to them before he and Race sprinted off to go get revenge on them. Race had made it known that anyone who called Albert Ranga that wasn't him, was getting socked in the arm.

There was also the time that some bitch made fun of Albert's ✨🧡Ranga🧡✨ hat and stole it. But Race noticed and practically flew to the rescue. He chased after the bitch whilst yelling, "It means I love him! Every piece of him! Even his hair! Ranga means he matters to me bitch!"

When Race finally got the hat back, it was clear that he had to punch a bitch. Albert couldn't help but feel his heart swell when he realized that Race would beat someone up for him.

A month or so after the Ranga incident, Race and Albert still proudly wore their hats around. Yeah every once in a while somebody had to just tease and say Ranga, but that was quickly solved with a matching glare from the pair of idiots.

Also they finally realized that normal friends don't cuddle as much as they do and they finally got together. It took a painstakingly long amount of time for Romeo to convince them to go out together. So now they're dating and everyone can stop complaining that they're being annoying. (Well not exactly but ehhhh)

Race's great idea for a first date was a trip to the zoo. Albert laughed at the idea, not expecting him to be serious. But lo and behold, he got in the car with Race and they went to the zoo.

Race didn't need to say anything when they got there. He just walked around until they got to the orangutans.

"Wanna take a picture with your twin?" He had asked. Albert rolled his eyes and posed for a picture. Right before Race took it, he snatched Albert's hat so that his hair was showing.

Maybe in the past Al would have been upset, but he was fine with it now because now he knows that Race loves his hair and doesn't think it's ugly.

(Albert did drag Race away to see the polar bears because according to him, "You and the polar bears are both bitch blondes.")


End file.
